NASA Solves The Mystery Of The Jelly Doughnut Rock On Mars

It was the jelly dougnut that officially baffled some of America's brightest minds, but NASA experts now think they have solved the riddle of the mysterious rock that appeared next to their Opportunity rover last month. After studying images of the area surrounding Opportunity and the mysterious rock, researchers have concluded that the rock was dislodged and broken by one of the rover's wheels.

"Once we moved Opportunity a short distance, after inspecting Pinnacle Island we could see directly uphill an overturned rock that has the same unusual appearance," said Ray Arvidson who was the Deputy Principal on the investigation. "We drove over it. We can see the track. That's where Pinnacle Island came from."

While the researchers will be relieved to have solved the riddle, one man who won't be impressed by the results is Rhawn Joseph. The cosmology author launched legal proceedings against NASA claiming that the agency had failed to investigate the possibility that the rock was a sign of alien life. Of course, there weren't many people buying Joseph's claims, but these findings will be music to the ears of scientists around the globe who were champing at the bit to take-down the proponent of a string of bizarre theories on alien life.

As for Opportunity and its team, they will now move on from the rock 'saga' and will proceed uphill to start the investigation of rock layers found on nearby slopes. For more details on the investigation, check out the full NASA release at the link below